Gone are the days where people held the same 9-5 job for decades if not all their lives, with the changes on the world scene many people are switching companies and careers even and that has led to a huge number of people seeking new opportunities not just locally but across the globe.
This article is one of the first of many to help those looking for a new job or for recruiters looking for hacks to help their selection process.
First and foremost the good ol’ CV is your main tool for finding a job and while many job seekers need to use portfolios to showcase past work and many are going for video CVs; if your CV isn’t solid, then chances are people will not even consider you.
The following tips should be considered essential to any CV regardless of its type so follow them carefully:
ONE PAGE ONLY:
This seems like a no brainer but it still surprises me the amount of people who send in CVs made up of 2 or 3 page CVs. Many would say I have too many jobs or a lot of stuff to say/highlight; if that’s the case then consider making separate CVs isolating the skill sets of certain jobs and not mentioning others so much i.e. Teaching Vs Writing work experience. HR employees are people with an attention span like the rest of us and they have to deal with hundreds if not thousands of applicants, they won’t waste time with complicated hard to follow CVs.
No MoreTimes New BORING Roman:
We’re in 2022. Why are you using a font that people have used since 1932? CVs aren’t meant to be boring, on the contrary they need to be exciting and unique to grab the attention and imagination of the employer so use a new font. This doesn’t mean using a font that doesn’t seem professional, and you can find dozens if not hundreds of fonts that look new yet serious.
Use standard Headings for sections:
With the increase in the number of websites that take the information from your CV document without needing to type it in; having those labels makes it much easier for the APIs to extract your data and eases the application process for everyone involved.
Links are your friend:
With less and less reliance on hard copy documents your CV is probably being viewed on a laptop somewhere so don’t be afraid to insert links to your previous employer’s websites and link any actual work you might have done. This makes the HR professional’s job easier and showcases your work and/or portfolio for creative positions.
Photos are not a must:
Many people put the passport picture of themselves wearing a suit or formal wear not knowing that this picture can be used to discriminate against them based on their race/appearance. Unless you are applying for a media or a position where you would come into contact with many clients then it really isn’t required and it can work against you. So send pictures by request only, save 2 CVs with and without a pic so you don’t waste time when applying for different jobs.
Templates make life easy:
If you have been looking online for ways to make your CV more appealing then you probably came across many templates with new and creative ways to showcase your info and save space and help you avoid the problems with your stuff exploding in a million directions after moving a small section on MS Word.
Choose the right layout:
There are 2 main types of CVs: Reverse Chronological CVs where you put your work experience with the most recent job titles first, and the Professional Skills CV that focuses more on skills and functions of previous jobs rather than putting positions with their description. Each CV type is geared more towards different careers and jobs, we will have a more detailed article about this topic soon.
